Grillin’ and chillin’

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Two of our friends who were recently married asked us to join them for dinner one Friday night. They were a very interesting couple. She is from the good ole U. S. of A, and he is from the U.K., but we won’t hold that against him. They met while he was a tour guide in London, and she was vacationing there. It was a match made in heaven, he is British and she is a dentist. Since they live in Talamore, and we live in Del Webb, we met them for dinner at the Montarra Grill in Algonquin.

This restaurant is in a strip mall, and although it is small, it’s very elegant on the inside. There is a glass water wall separating the bar from the dining room, making for a very relaxing atmosphere. The white tablecloths and the subdued lighting completed the ambiance.

Jim consistently proves what I have always said: he’s a MORON!!! Our friends were seated at the table when we arrived, and Jim walked up to our friend’s wife and said, “Nice to see you again Cynthia.” Unfortunately, her name is Audrey. I did my best to recover from this awkward moment, but it left me speechless. What could I do but order a drink. I checked their drink menu and spotted “Til Death Do Us Part,” and since I wanted to kill Jim, I ordered it. The only thing I remember about this drink was that it contained Limoncello and thankfully lots and lots of vodka.

Jim removed his foot from his mouth and replaced it with the cheesy, salty, peppery, cracker/flatbread that was in the basket on the table. These were really tasty, and eating them kept him from talking.

We heard about the unusual way this restaurant serves Baked French Onion Soup ($9) and had to try it as our appetizer. This soup was baked in a hollowed out onion, with melted cheese on top, and abundantly garnished with onion straws. It came with a gravy boat filled with soup on the side to refill the onion. This was the best French onion soup we have ever had and the creativity was off the charts.

Nancy decided on the Amish Chicken Breast ($26) for her entree. This was served with Parmesan risotto, brussel sprouts, roast apple, pomegranate, balsamic vinegar, and a mushroom sage sauce. She said her meal was delicious (after extracting the fungi), but she was disappointed when it didn’t arrive at the table in a little horse-drawn buggy. It was supposed to be Amish. The chicken was the vessel to allow all the other ingredients to shine.

Jim, being the true carnivore, chose the 6 oz. Black Angus Filet Mignon ($35). This came with sautéed baby spinach, garlic whipped potato, and house made bordelaise sauce. His steak was cooked to perfection and melted in his mouth. Jim had garlic tonight, not me, bummer…

We all passed on dessert except for Jim. In honor of our friends, he ordered the Sticky English Toffee Bread Pudding ($9). Our British friend asked our waitress why this dessert was considered English. She heard his accent and said, “I was hoping you could tell me.” What arrived was a warm, decadent bread pudding drenched in toffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and served with whip cream. It was so good, even “Cynthia” took a taste.

If you are looking for a restaurant that offers delicious and creative dishes, give Montarra Grill a try. The only downside is, that with people talking, it can get quite noisy.

FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible, but be aware, the tables are close together. Reservations are a must.

The price of our International dinner was… priceless. Our friend, being a proper British gentleman, graciously picked up the entire tab. We unsuccessfully protested and he said, “We asked you to join us.”

Jim’s take: My steak was one of the best I’ve ever had and don’t pass up this dessert.

Nancy’s take: The soup was out of this world, but my chicken, Amish or not, tasted like chicken!

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com

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